A ten year marriage is generally considered a "gray area" marriage, as to length of time. According to Florida law, it is not considered a short marriage, nor a long marriage. There is no definitive answer to your question, as the court must consider and evaluate many factors in determining an award of alimony. Note - In Florida there are no guidelines for alimony as there are for child support. The courts look to the length of the marriage, the ability of one party to pay and the needs of the receiving party, the amount of funds each party receives after the assets are divided, along with the lifestyle the parties led during the marriage, factoring in whether or not the parties were living within their means. We may engage the services of a vocational expert to determine how much income should be imputed to your spouse (if they were working within their capabilities in today's market) which would lower the amount that you might have to pay. Also, there are many forms of alimony; permanent, lump sum, rehabilitative, bridge the gap and temporary, all of which can be either modifiable or non-modifiable. Alimony can be very complicated due to the many factors involved. We will be able to discuss all the options with you, depending on your individual circumstances.
